Cairo, Oct 25, (dpa/GNA) – Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, continued to trade attacks over the weekend, with Saudi civil defence authorities issuing nearly a dozen warnings, including in Riyadh, Jeddah and several southern provinces near the Yemeni border, over the 24 hours up to early Sunday.
The Saudi-backed military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said, more than a dozen missiles, drones and cruise missiles had been intercepted, including over the capital, Riyadh, and in the south of the country.
The Houthis said Saudi Arabia had carried out more than 3,000 missile and airstrikes in Yemen since the latest escalation in the fighting began.
More than 100 such attacks had taken place in Houthi-occupied Sana’a and other parts of the country within just 24 hours, killing and injuring several people, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. It is not possible to independently verify the claims from the warring sides.
A ceasefire in place since 2022 broke down in July, as regional tensions soared again amid the war on Iran. Since then, Saudi Arabia has come under heavy attack from Yemen, with airports and oil facilities among the targets hit.
Heavy fighting is also continuing in Yemen itself. The Saudi-backed Interior Ministry said the Houthis had attacked the southern port city of Aden with missiles. The rebels said they had targeted two military bases commanded by Saudi officers.
Eyewitnesses reported several explosions in the area. Operations have resumed at two terminals at Riyadh International Airport after being interrupted by Houthi strikes.
Passengers were asked to confirm with their respective airlines, whether their flights were actually operating.
On Sunday afternoon, flight-tracking service Flightradar24 was still showing hundreds of flights as cancelled.
The website listed Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam among the airports worldwide most severely affected by disruptions. The Houthis again warned that Riyadh airport would remain a “military target.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,500 people have been killed and over 6,900 others injured in Yemen since the latest escalation in fighting. The figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and also exclude casualty data from areas controlled by the Houthi rebels.
Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed from the direct and indirect consequences of the conflict, which has been raging for more than a decade.
GNA